Global Patent Index - EP 0448390 A2

EP 0448390 A2 19910925 - Treatment with flammable gas, such as sterilisation with ethylene oxide.

Title (en)

Treatment with flammable gas, such as sterilisation with ethylene oxide.

Title (de)

Behandlung mit einem entflammbaren Gas, wie Sterilisation mit Ethylenoxid.

Title (fr)

Traitement avec un gaz inflammable tel que stérilisation à l'aide d'oxyde d'éthylène.

Publication

EP 0448390 A2 19910925 (EN)

Application

EP 91302451 A 19910320

Priority

US 49745790 A 19900321

Abstract (en)

A method of treating articles with a mixture of flammable gas (such as ethylene oxide), air and an inert gas which makes possible reuse of the ethylene oxide or other flammable gas for an indefinite number of successive treatment cycles involves refortifying the gas mixture with flammable gas when necessary. Non-flammability is maintained by removing air from a treatment chamber before the mixture is admitted into the chamber by the evacuation of the tank to a predetermined pressure, then admitting an inert gas to the tank to a predetermined pressure, and then subsequently removing the resulting air and inert gas mixture from the tank by evacuation to a predetermined pressure, the air removal resulting in an air proportion less than or equal to that proportion residing in the treatment mixture that is maintained in a holding tank.

IPC 1-7

A61L 2/20

IPC 8 full level

A23L 3/3409 (2006.01); A61L 2/20 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP US)

A23L 3/3409 (2013.01 - EP US); A61L 2/206 (2013.01 - EP US)

Designated contracting state (EPC)

AT BE CH DE ES FR GB IT LI NL SE

DOCDB simple family (publication)

EP 0448390 A2 19910925; EP 0448390 A3 19930113; CA 2036831 A1 19910922; US 5128101 A 19920707

DOCDB simple family (application)

EP 91302451 A 19910320; CA 2036831 A 19910225; US 49745790 A 19900321